The modern communications era has brought about a tremendous expansion of wireline and wireless networks. Computer networks, television networks, and telephony networks are experiencing an unprecedented technological expansion, fueled by consumer demand. Wireless and mobile networking technologies have addressed related consumer demands, while providing more flexibility and immediacy of information transfer.
Current and future networking technologies continue to facilitate ease of information transfer and convenience to users. The proliferation of local, regional, and global networks such as the Internet has availed a sea of information to consumers. These networking technologies have expanded to increasingly include wireless and mobile technologies. Through these networks, information can be downloaded to desktop systems, wireless systems, mobile systems, etc. For example, information available via the Internet can now be downloaded onto mobile wireless units, such as cellular telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), laptop computers, etc. One such technology facilitating the transfer of Internet content to and from wireless devices is the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), which integrates the Internet and other networks with wireless network platforms. Generally, WAP is a set of protocols that accounts for characteristics and functionality of both Internet standards and standards for wireless services. It is independent of wireless network standards, and is designed as an open standard. WAP bridges the gap between the wireline Internet paradigm and the wireless domain, to allow wireless device users to enjoy the benefits of the Internet across both platforms.
Second generation wireless service, often referred to as 2G wireless service, is a current wireless service based on circuit-switched technology. 2G systems, such as Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) and Personal Communications Services (PCS), use digital radio technology for improved quality and a broader range of services over first generation mobile technologies. 3G, or third generation, refers to a set of digital technologies that promises improvements in capacity, speed and efficiency by deploying new packet-based transmission methodologies between terminals and the network. Users of 3G devices and networks will have access to multimedia services such as video-on-demand, video conferencing, fast web access and file transfer.
With the introduction of new mobile services such as WAP, Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), calendar and contact synchronization, as well as a multitude of other possibilities, and the ever-increasing addition of new network services, the number of servers and portals providing services for mobile and landline network terminals continues to expand. Further, there is an increasing number of features associated with these services, such as support for multimedia, location-based services, electronic payments, etc. Various manners for charging for such services are also an integral, and growing, part of network services, as postpaid, pre-paid, hot-billing, and other payment mechanisms are continually deployed to meet growing and changing consumer needs.
Setting configuration parameters for new, upgraded, and/or accessed services is generally referred to as provisioning. Conventional provisioning systems required that a retail establishment provision the terminal for the user. This, however, is inconvenient for the user. Further, if the user decided to purchase a different terminal or upgrade services, the user was forced to return to the dealer to provision, or re-provision the terminal. More recent provisioning systems have made it possible to allow the user to initiate provisioning from the device. For example, a user may manually initiate provisioning from the device to be provisioned. In other provisioning systems, a remote server device may instigate a communications session with a provisioning server device, and provide the provisioning server with provisioning information.
However, for controlling access to such services, existing control mechanisms are not easily maintained in view of an ever-changing network environment. Currently, limiting access to resources in a network environment where variables are likely to change is problematic. Further, the effort, time, and cost of manually provisioning and controlling access to available services in current networking environments is unduly prohibitive. Extensibility is important, as the relationship between the service and network elements such as storage, charging, etc., may change. For example, new access and payment methods may emerge, and it is important that access to such new resources is handled efficiently.
The use of access control lists has been used in an attempt to address access to resources. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,055,637 discusses resource access control in user sessions and how a session ID is used to handle access control to resources. One session ID is assigned to one person, and when the session is terminated, the session ID is invalidated. However such access control lists are not extensible or transferable, and do not allow the flexibility required for various payment processes.
Accordingly, there is a need in the network communications industry for a manner of controlling access to downloadable network resources, while providing expandability, automation, and transferability. The present invention provides a solution to these and other shortcomings of the prior art, and offers additional advantages over the prior art.